EXPLAINER
The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire is extended by three weeks after White House talks with Israeli and Lebanese envoys.
US President Donald Trump has announced a three-week extension to the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon after talks at the White House with Israeli and Lebanese envoys.
As tensions persist across the region, he said he “could make a deal right now” with Iran but is willing to wait for an “everlasting” agreement.
An Israeli strike killed three people in southern Lebanon, and senior officials in Tehran have blamed Washington for stalled negotiations, citing the US naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Here is what we know:
In Iran
- Trump’s Hormuz order: President Trump vowed the US would destroy any vessel laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as he ratchets up pressure on Iran to reopen the crucial sea passage that the US military has also blockaded.
- Blockade in Hormuz disputed: Analyst Hassan Ahmadian said the US push in the Strait of Hormuz is not an “economic siege” but a cover to reposition forces “for a possible new round of conflict”.
- Iran’s leaders reject division claims: President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and the head of Iran’s judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, have denied Trump’s assertions of internal rifts, with coordinated messaging underscoring unity within Iran’s leadership.
- Iran may outlast US blockade: Former US ambassador to Bahrain, Adam Ereli, said Tehran is prepared for sanctions and can store or sell oil through alternative means, warning the pressure campaign could outlast both Trump’s patience and US public support, as foreign policy goals collide with domestic political realities.
War diplomacy
- Global responses: Pope Leo XIV has condemned the killing of protesters in Iran and called for restraint, while Marco Rubio confirmed the US will not bar Iran’s national team from the football World Cup, dismissing speculation that Washington sought to block their participation.
- US aircraft carrier arrives in Middle East: The USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East, the US military said, increasing the number of the massive American warships operating in the region to three.
In the US
- Trump news conference: The US president claimed on Thursday that American forces could quickly “neutralise” any rebuilt Iranian military capacity, signalling no urgency on a long-term deal: “Don’t rush me”.
- For the first time, Trump clearly said that the US would not use a nuclear weapon in Iran – days after intense speculation over what he might do, when he threatened to erase Iranian civilisation in a social media post that was widely condemned for its apparent genocidal intent.
- US politicians seek protection for Iranians: More than a dozen Democrats are urging Trump’s administration to pause the deportation of Iranians, warning that nearly 12,000 students and others could face persecution or conflict if forced to return, and calling for immediate protections for those unable to safely go home.
In Israel
- Israel awaits ‘green light’: Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said Israel was “prepared to resume the war” and was awaiting a green light from Washington to return Iran to “the Stone Age”.
- Israel denies Iran attack: An Israeli security source told AFP on Thursday that airstrikes were not being carried out in Iran, following Iranian state media reports that air defence systems had been activated over the capital Tehran.
- Hezbollah fires on northern Israel: Hezbollah said on Thursday it fired rockets at northern Israel, accusing the country of violating the ceasefire. “In defence of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the Israeli enemy’s violation of the ceasefire and its targeting of the town of Yater in southern Lebanon,” Hezbollah “targeted the Shtula settlement with a rocket salvo”, the group said.
In Lebanon
- Israeli strike kills three people: The Lebanese health ministry said an Israeli strike on south Lebanon killed three people – despite a 10-day ceasefire that has now been extended for three weeks.
- Beirut shop owner reflects divisions: A shop owner in Beirut laughed off questions about Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington, telling Al Jazeera he feared repercussions for speaking out, underscoring deep divisions in Lebanon where some see negotiations as necessary while others back Hezbollah’s armed resistance as the only path forward.
Oil and global markets
- Oil prices rise: Brent crude topped $106 a barrel after tit-for-tat vessel captures in the Strait of Hormuz, increasing nearly five percent to $106.80 by 01:00 GMT after climbing above $100 for the first time in two weeks.
